Powerpoint

Different opinions about PPT on learning (Amare, 2006; Baker, Goodboy, Bowman, & Wright, 2018; Craig & Amernic, 2006; Hill, Arford, Lubitow, & Smollin, 2012; Jones, 2003).

knitr::include_graphics(file.path(dirname(oldwd), "image/email.png"))

Figure 1: Emails mentioning the use of PPT

PowerPoint is “making us stupid, degrading the quality and credibility of our communication, turning us into bores, wasting our colleagues’ time”.

— Edward Tufte (2003)

PowerPoint is still used in over 30 million presentations a day, and PowerPoint software is on 250 million computers. While I do not agree with Tufte that PowerPoint is making us and our students stupid, this case study reveals unpredicted results…Results reveal that while most students say they preferred PowerPoint, performance scores were higher in the sections with the traditional lecture format (teacher at podium, chalkboard, handouts).

— Nicole Amare (2006)

A meta-analysis of 48 studies was conducted to determine if students learn more when taught the same material using PowerPoint compared to traditional instruction. Results revealed that on average, there was no difference in students’ learning based on the type of instruction they received.

— James Baker et al. (2018)

Definitions

Slideshow:

A slide show is a presentation of a series of still images on a projection screen or electronic display device, typically in a prearranged sequence. … A slide show may be a presentation of images purely for their own visual interest or artistic value, sometimes unaccompanied by description or text, or it may be used to clarify or reinforce information, ideas, comments, solutions or suggestions which are presented verbally. Slide shows are sometimes still conducted by a presenter using an apparatus such as a carousel slide projector or an overhead projector, but now the use of an electronic video display device and a computer running presentation software is typical.

— Wikipedia

knitr::include_graphics(file.path(dirname(oldwd), "image/slide-tools.png"))

Figure 2: PPT-like tools

Common feature:

• Pages with landscape view
• Pagination (page breaks)
• Bullets
• Visual effects

knitr::include_graphics(file.path(dirname(oldwd), "image/abuse.png"))

Figure 3: Comments on Zhihu

Powerpointless (slideware-free) Teaching and Learning (PTL):

Using other tools than PPT-like tools in teaching and learning. These tools include documents, webpages, printouts, white/blackboard writing …

Questions

1. Would it be more or less effective if we do not use PPT-like materials in class, especially for Post Pandemic Education at XJTLU? (UKPSF A4 K2 K4 K5 V2)

2. Is there different influence between different disciplines, genders, and grades (years)? (UKPSF A1 K3 V1)

3. What should we do for improving the teaching and learning in a Powerpointless style in high education (UKPSF A5 K4 V3 K6)?

Modules

Actions

• Online webpages
• Reading materials (book chapters)
• White board
• Printed Handouts
• Role plays

Survey

• Questionnaire with 17 questions
  • socio-demographic information
  • attitudes
  • teaching material structure
  • knowledge acquisition
  • motivation
  • open-ended questions
• Distributed to all the students after the module lectures were completed.
• Digitized with the software Epi Info 7
• Analyzed with R.

Socio-demographic information

• The total student number: 68
• 74 % (50 students) filled and returned the questionnaires
• 5 questionnaires were invalid
• 45 valid questionnaires, or 66 % of the total class size

figs$pie

Figure 4: Percentage of the students from different disciplines

DT::datatable(
  tabs$socio, 
  fillContainer = FALSE,
  # options = list(pageLength = 4), 
  caption = "Table 1. Numbers of samples classified with the socio-demographic information"
)

Overview opinions

• Means: 0.26 – 0.49
• Medians: 0.5
• Peaks: 0.5
• Positive: 56 % - 76 %

figs$all

Figure 5: Frequency distributions for the scores of the questions in the questinnaire.

Gender

figs$gender_dot

t-test: p values range between 0.09 and 0.69, indicating no difference between female and male.

Disciplines

Difference between BIO, DPH, and ENV?

figs$program_box15

t-test: p values range between 0.42 and 0.96, indicating no difference between BIO and ENV.

Grade

figs$grade_dot

t-test: p values range between 0.03 and 0.52.

• Minimum p value: Question 8. Were the PTL teaching materials better connected to the learning objectives in an individual lecture?

International

figs$international_box

Correlations

figs$cor()

• Q-05 against Q-10, Q-11, Q-12: Preference from the learning effectivity, understandability, and extended learning.
• Q-05 against Q-14, Q-11, Q-12: Preference not from the experience of Powerpointless learning.

Advantages

Disadvantages/suggestions:

It is easier to be distracted. Incontrast, contents in each slide has different concentrations/highlight, which helps me to better understand.

Major points/concepts can be highlighted.

Less visual effect.

The summary of the whole module can have a PPT file to lead us to do the final review.